The Doe in the Garden
by scissorbrothers
Summary: AU. Inspired by Edward Scissorhands. Lily Evans lives in a quaint neighborhood built around a dilapidated castle. But her pastel colored life is about to be shattered as she discovers love, loss and beauty in the most unlikely being. SS/LE, slight JP/LE.
1. A Story for Dudley

I do not own Harry Potter. JKR does. Also, I was inspired by Edward Scissorhands...so the credit goes to Tim Burton.

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><p><strong>AU. RomanceTragedy/Fantasy.** Lily Evans lives in a quaint and normal suburbia built around the dilapidated Snape manor. She has a snotty older sister, two best friends and she is finally going out with James Potter, a man who has been chasing her for years. However, Lily's pastel colored life is about to be shattered as she uncovers love, loss and beauty in the most unlikely being.

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><p><strong><span>A Story for Dudley<span>**

Dudley Dursley disliked staying at aunt Lily's house during the winter holidays. It was only for the weekend, but it felt like an eternity to the blond chubby boy. After all he was ten years old and he didn't have the time to listen to his aunt read fairy tales before he went to sleep. He wanted to race die-cast cars on the floor and run around the jungle gym at school with his friends. Aunt Lily never had chocolate cake in her house, or anything sweet for that matter and Dudley loved candy more than anything on this earth.

"Auntie, why do you never have jelly beans, or bubble gum, or anything?" he piped up as he sat at the kitchen table, peering over to where his aunt was preparing tonight's dinner.

Lily sighed softly. "I've found that I don't really care for candies any more."

Dudley licked his lips as his eyes darted to the floor and shook his head. "Mummy used to let me have four slices of cake, sometimes five if I did extra good in school."

His green eyed aunt softly giggled at Dudley's response as the woman stirred a pot of spaghetti sauce. The aroma of blended spices and tomatoes filled the kitchen and dining room, which made Dudley's mouth water. "Dinner is almost ready, Dudley. Go wash up," she asked him kindly.

The little boy didn't need to be told twice after hearing the word 'dinner' as he ran to the loo to get himself ready for eating. Aunt Lily was not that bad of a cook and she would let Dudley eat as many servings as he wanted, unlike his mother. His mum was finally putting him on a diet after concerns from his teachers about how he used to take other children's lunches. But he is a growing boy after all, says his father. Dudley agreed with his dad, yes he did.

The boy washed up and sat at the dinner table, grasping his fork and spoon as he waited for his aunt to serve spaghetti and garlic bread. His eyes widened in hunger as Lily scooped some noodles from the pot onto Dudley's plate, a hearty amount of tomato sauce covering the angel hair noodles. Lily and Dudley didn't talk. Dudley was too busy shovelling forkfuls of spaghetti into his mouth, sauce streaking across his chin as he slurped up a noodle. Not the best of manners, but he was a boy. Lily dabbed her cheek with a napkin, drinking the last of her water with lemon as she sighed when Dudley was back in the kitchen, lifting up a large clump of noodles onto his plate and then poured sauce over it.

When Dudley finally finished, he burped and then pardoned himself when Lily reprimanded him for not saying "Excuse me." He sheepishly slunk back to the living room, landing on the small worn sofa that faced the telly.

"Is there anything good on the telly, auntie?" Dudley loudly asked as he laid on the sofa, flipping through channels as a half-bored, half-interested look glazed over his face. He had two full plates of spaghetti, three slices of garlic bread and two tall glasses of milk; he was starting to feel rather drowsy from all the food in his tummy. Perhaps he ate a tad too much, but Dudley would never admit that.

As Dudley continued to channel surf in the living room, Lily set down the scrubbing sponge on the kitchen sink counter, wiping her hands on a dry towel as she glanced over at her chubby nephew. The boy certainly looked like Vernon and inherited her sister's hair coloring. That was about it. No trace of Lily in this boy's genetics. A sigh escaped Lily's lips as she snapped out of it and walked over to Dudley, the boy had now buried under a mountain of beige pillows. If he were an animal Dudley would be a bear, no doubt about that. She chuckled warmly at this funny sight.

"Sleepy, Dudley?"

He said no at first but then slowly nodded, telling the truth this time. Lily extended her hand to her nephew as Dudley reluctantly took her hand as he emerged from the pillow cave, the pillows falling to the floor as he rubbed his eyes. She escorted him to the guest room where Dudley would be staying for the weekend as she left the room, allowing Dudley to change into his pyjamas. Lily stepped back in, clasping her hands together as she saw the boy laying in bed, making 'vroom' noises with his mouth as his little cars zoomed across the soft folds of his blanket.

"Last year I had thirty-three Christmas presents, Mummy says I'll get even more this year!" he spoke excitedly, a faint frown forming on his aunt's face as she watched him play with his cars. Her sister spoiled Dudley to the point where if Dudley were any more spoiled, he'd be a rotten fruit. As much as Petunia hated her, whenever she and Vernon had to go out of town, guess who they called to watch Dudley for free? Lily. They probably didn't want to spend money on a sitter, knowing how much of a penny-pincher Vernon was. "I want a Playstation with at least seven games! Auntie, do you know what a Playstation is?" Dudley asked his aunt but the question didn't quite reach her ears.

"Oh look, it's snowing. I've always loved the snow," Lily spoke happily as she turned to face Dudley, suddenly remembering what he asked her. "Oh, is it another video game?"

"Yeah," the blond boy frowned at he looked at the flakes of snow slide down the window. "Snow's dumb. It's cold and wet and you can't play a Playstation out in the snow."

"Dudley," she sighed heavily, scooting over on the small guest bed, "some of the best things in life aren't video games."

Dudley shook his head. "Oh yeah? Like what?" he challenged.

Lily placed her hands on her lap, smoothing out her skirt as she looked over at Dudley. "Nature. Learning new things. Love." The last word earned a loud "Yuck!" from Dudley as a sad smile formed on Lily's lips.

"Love is gross," Dudley continued making the same disgusted face on his chubby little face, "it's for girls."

His aunt shook her head. "Not true, Dudley. If I remember correctly, your daddy fell in love with your mummy first. He's the one who proposed to her."

"That's different."

Nephew and aunt sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the soft sounds of the fluffy white stuff landing outside in the cold. December snow was always the best kind of snow, she had concluded as a little girl. It was strange how such simple precipitation could hearken back to her childhood, her happiest moments as a young woman growing up in this very neighborhood.

Dudley dropped his cars onto the floor, no longer interested in his toys. "How come you never married?"

The question threw the red haired woman off guard as Dudley innocently looked up at Lily, waiting impatiently for her answer. "Well, Dudley...that's a long story. And I know how much you don't like stories-,"

Dudley quickly shook his head. "Nuh uh, I just hate fairy tales. Those are stupid and girly. I'm big enough for real stories!" he exclaimed but then settled back down. Lily laughed as she turned to face Dudley, brushing back some stray blond hair from his face. "I wanna know!" he shook his fat fists in the air.

"I don't think your mummy wouldn't appreciate me telling you..." Lily trailed off as Dudley's eyes lit up with eagerness and curiosity, shifting under his blankets as he scooted closer to his aunt to hear her better.

"Why's that?"

Lily stared at Dudley with a solemn expression, her fingers linked between the spaces of her hands. She considered just outright explaining to Dudley that his mother was one of the reasons Lily lived alone, but that would be a poor decision. Plus, Dudley was fond of his mummy and it was impossible to try to convince him otherwise. Lily Evans inhaled deeply as she patted Dudley on the head and prepared to tell her nephew a story she had been hiding away for many years. A familiar guilt began to weigh down on Lily's shoulders.

"Well, it was long before you born, Dudley. It was right here in this very neighborhood that your mother and I grew up. Cokeworth was a lot different then..."

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><p><em>Once upon a time, a boy was born to Queen Eileen and King Tobias. The Queen's sister, a well-known practitioner of dark magic, was enraged that she was not invited to the boy's first birthday celebration. She showed up unannounced, pretending to present the boy with a gift of eternal youth. However, this blessing was truly a curse in disguise: the prince would be eternally young, but he was cursed with a physical deformity so shocking the Queen dropped dead right in the great hall. The King wanted nothing of the creature and sent his own son to a faraway castle to be raised away from his father, in hopes he would fade into oblivion. Many years passed and the King finally died, but nobody could locate the prince and the kingdom soon fell into shambles.<em>


	2. Lily Learns of Expectations

I do not own Harry Potter. JKR does. Also, I was inspired by Edward Scissorhands...so the credit goes to Tim Burton.

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><p><strong><span>Lily Learns of Expectations<span>**

The little gem of Cokeworth was a neighborhood straight out of a picture-perfect home and garden magazine. Cokeworth was settled on the most viridian of green grass, a place where the sun seemed to melt into the horizon like a slice of warm butter. It was a real blessing to live in Cokeworth, really. Nothing to complain about except for that eyesore on top of a twisted and curvy hill at the very end of Cokeworth Avenue. This cul-de-sac was known as Spinner's End, literally named for a suicide that had occurred there almost a hundred years ago. John Spinner went mad and supposedly killed himself at the end of the street, and the name stuck. Nobody dared venture into Spinner's End and yet the women of Cokeworth would often talk about how they needed to tear down that dilapidated castle-esque house. According to one Marlene McKinnon, it was a pimple that needed to be popped.

"Marlene, that's gross," a short girl with cropped brown-black hair made a disgusted face, not wanting to imagine a pimple about to burst. "You shouldn't compare anything to a zit."

Marlene was currently pouring herself a glass of pink lemonade, mimicking Alice's voice as she set the pitcher down and took a long gulp of the refreshing drink. "_That's gross_. Well you know what Alice, that tacky house needs to go!" she exclaimed as she placed her free hand on her hip.

"I don't know, I think that castle adds a little something to our neighborhood," piped up a red haired girl as she nibbled on a cucumber sandwich. "It's so different from our houses. That castle's been there since anybody can remember."

The girl with pin straight blonde hair scoffed at her red haired best friend, sitting down in her lawn chair as she slowly tipped her sunglasses low so her blue eyes could look at her friend's green eyes. "Are you serious Lily? Who cares if it's been there since dinosaurs!" Marlene adjusted her sunglasses as she stretched out, wanting to absorb as much as summer sun as she could. "My daddy's been trying to pull some strings to get the developers to come down and demolish that gaudy castle-,"

"I don't think it's gaudy," Lily interrupted Marlene as she drank some of her pink lemonade, her vision obscured by the brim of her straw hat. "So, Alice, how's Frank?" Lily decided to change the subject, a deep curve formed on her playful lips. "I know he invited you to his family's barbeque this Saturday..."

"Ooooh! Alice has a crush on Frank!" chimed Marlene. She had a mischievous look in her eyes as she lightly tapped Alice's shoulder. Alice flushed as she jerked her shoulder away from her friend.

"Frank's just a friend," the brunette responded, "…he doesn't even like me that way. He's just being nice, that's all. Plus, it's not like I'm the only one who was invited."

Marlene put on a disapproving smile as she tossed her hair back, not satisfied with Alice's denial that she had feelings for the lanky boy. Marlene was more than considerably nosy about Alice's love life, especially since now Alice was the only girl who had never dated a boy before. Marlene had an on-again, off-again relationship with Sirius Black and Lily was constantly pursued by the handsome jock James Potter.

"Marlene, let it go," Lily came to Alice's defense, raising her hands as she turned on her side to face her blonde friend and whispered in a low voice, "These things take time."

The blonde rolled her eyes as she gave Lily an incredulous look. "Speaking of things that take time, what about that hunk James? It's been almost four years, when will you just admit that you want to get with him?" she demanded to know, prodding her finger against Lily's neck, her sunglasses sliding off the bridge of her perfectly sculpted nose. "Everybody expects you to just settle down with him anyway."

"Nice to know the entire neighborhood has been planning my love life," Lily folded her arms across her chest, a frown replacing her smile from earlier. "I promised myself I wasn't going to end up like Tuney-,"

"No, no Lily! You're nothing like Petunia!" Alice cut in, her brown eyes widening. "I'm so glad she's in London now! She was always so rude to me and Marlene, even as kids."

Marlene agreed vehemently. "Yeah! Her fiance looks like a fat turtle!"

It was silent for a few seconds before Lily began cracking up at Marlene's statement, Alice joining in on the silliness as the three girls laughed in the backyard of the Evans home. Lily always loved the summer and it was sad to know that this was the last summer she could truly be free until she entered the real world, even if reality included living in this pastel-colored suburbia. She would have to get a part-time job at the grocery store or the local library, an accepted part-time career for a girl her age, and basically wait until she met a boy and get married...

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><p>"Lily dear, the telephone's for you!" Mrs. Evans, a kind and petite woman with blonde hair and green eyes, called her daughter from her bedroom that evening. Curious to know who was calling at eight p.m., Lily grabbed the phone from her mom as she asked who it was.<p>

"Hey Evans-er Lily."

Lily groaned as she asked, "What do you want?" while twirling a piece of red hair around her finger, not really wanting to speak to James Potter. Marlene was right about him pursuing her; the idiot hadn't realized that she, Lily May Evans, would never date him. James was always showing off his rugby uniform and messing his hair to look like it was windswept. Many girls fawned over his hazel eyes but she wasn't one of those groupies. She was better than that.

"I...are you going to the barbeque on Saturday?" James' voice was a little calmer, not as haughty as usual. She was immediately suspicious as she answered slowly, making sure this wasn't a sort of set up to a practical joke set by Sirius Black.

"Maybe. Why?" She could hear whispering on the other end of the telephone as the frown on her face deepened.

"I just wanted to know. That's all."

Awkward silence echoed through the speakers of the telephone. Lily sighed deeply, hearing her fuzzy breathing over the phone. "You better not be up to your tricks, James Potter. Frank'd never forgive you if you and Sirius ruined a barbeque-,"

"It's not a joke! I really wanted to know! See ya then, Lils." Lily heard him click his tongue in a suggestive manner as the telephone flatlined, Lily slamming the phone on the floor as she grit her teeth. One moment he was almost serious and then he was back to his flirting all over again! And Lils? Nobody called her such a juvenile name! She was almost seventeen years old for sakes! After handing her mother the phone and ignoring her question of why she seemed so annoyed all of a sudden, Lily went back to her room and crashed onto her bed, her face colliding with a pink pillow. Petunia liked pink. Lily never did like the color pink. When Petunia left Cokeworth to go to London for a typing course, Lily had inherited Petunia's bedroom. She still hadn't fully moved into her new bedroom though, because there were still remnants of Petunia's belongings such as this pink pillow and a couple of boxes with Petunia's old toys and gadgets.

Nobody predicted Petunia and Vernon ending up together. He wasn't from Cokeworth. Even though Lily and Petunia had a tumultuous relationship as sisters, Lily was slightly jealous that Petunia left Cokeworth and managed to find someone, even if he did look like a fat turtle. It wasn't fair. Was Marlene right? Would Lily really fall for arrogant James Potter, what everyone was expecting her to do?

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><p><em>Before the prince was born, there were two princesses named Eileen and Malbetha. Eileen was the younger and more curious of the royal sisters while Malbetha appreciated tradition and rules. The two were fond of each other and Malbetha always taught her little sister to obey her parents and the expectations laid before her. Malbetha was married to a much older man but unfortunately the two were unable to conceive any heirs, so the pressure was put on young Eileen. Eileen was engaged to marry a prince named Ardinand but at the last minute, she broke off the contract and fled her country with a lesser prince named Tobias. Tobias was the prince of a backwoods country, mainly farming and agriculture. It didn't matter to Eileen because Tobias was different from Ardinand and she partially eloped with Tobias to spite her family and to make a statement about tradition.<em>

_Needless to say, it did not settle well with Malbetha. Soon after, it was revealed that Malbetha had meddled with dark magic for many years, hiding it from her own family, and her husband mysteriously died soon after this scandal occurred. Malbetha and Eileen did not speak for a long time, until word reached to Malbetha's kingdom that her estranged sister had given birth to a baby boy..._


	3. James Admits His Feelings

I do not own Harry Potter. JKR does. Also, I was inspired by Edward Scissorhands...so the credit goes to Tim Burton.

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><p><strong>James Admits His Feelings<strong>

Nobody loved the Longbottom Saturday barbeques more than the Evans family. Michael Evans and Roy Longbottom met at university and the two men were best friends ever since. They even bought side by side houses in Cokeworth, so one couldn't deny the closeness the two families shared. Rosie Evans brought over herring casserole for Mrs. Longbottom and would gossip about the other women in Cokeworth while Roy would often talk politics with her father over a game of cards. Meanwhile, Lily and Frank talked about general conversation topics, such as the weather or how their day had gone. Lily liked Frank, she did, but he was a little awkward and somewhat shy, even at seventeen years old. Plus, she had more than an inkling that he harbored feelings for a certain Alice Wilde, especially how he would break eye contact whenever Lily brought up Alice's name in conversation.

Lily was dreading seeing James Potter and his band of merry tricksters at the barbeque, or as they preferred to be called, the Marauders. Nobody knew how the name became attached to those four young men but it happened and the title stuck. James was the ringleader really, and the worse as they came. His second in command was Marlene's "boyfriend" Sirius Black. He liked to flirt but he was slightly more respectful towards her, which wasn't much to be honest. He was part of the oldest family in Cokeworth, something he surprisingly did not brag about. The Blacks lived on this land before Cokeworth was ever developed, and he often avoided conversation about the creepy castle on Spinner's End. Other than that, Sirius was just as obnoxious as James. Then there was Peter Pettigrew, the shortest and mousy member of their gang. He practically idolized James and Sirius but he was harmless and never said anything to her. The only member of the Marauders that made her truly wonder why he associated with such numbskulls was Remus Lupin, the smartest and quietest person she knew. Out of all four boys, she would much rather prefer Remus' company. Come to think of it, the only guys she didn't find annoying were him and Frank. Frank was good friends with all Marauders but he didn't consider himself as a Marauder.

"Lily, please carry the casserole, I'm bringing the sangria and fruit punch bowls," Mrs. Evans handed Lily a glass dish covered in a towel, the bottom of the dish rather warm. Even in the August heat, the aroma of the herring casserole smelled delicious and reminded Lily of comfort food in the winter. As the Evans carried their food over to the Longbottom's house, they were greeted by a cheerful Roy and Janet Longbottom, the women immediately heading into the kitchen to prepare more food for the barbeque.

"Hi Lily," Frank waved to her as she happily obliged him a 'Hello' back. He had cut his hair even shorter and his ears were even more visible. A little dorky for a seventeen year old, but Lily thought it suited him. She placed the casserole outside on the patio, setting it on a round card table with a bright flamingo pink tablecloth. In Cokeworth, according to Lily Evans, the colors grey, brown and black did not exist. Everything was either a bright neon or soft pastel. In Marlene McKinnon's words, "like candy colors."

"Hey, over here Lily!" Marlene hollered over at her red haired friend as Lily smiled over at Marlene and joined her in the middle of the freshly cut lawn. Marlene had her hair in waves and was wearing a new peasant top and a blue skirt, little wooden beads hanging off the side. The girl was fashion forward and obsessed over whatever was hip and happening in the London circle of fashion. Lily was just wearing a plain white dress with soft green trim and for a split moment, she didn't feel as pretty. She snapped out of that rather quickly.

Marlene licked her lips as her eyes peeked over Lily's shoulder and hummed mischievously. "Oh Lily, look who's here and saying hi to Frankie boy," she smirked as Lily turned around to find a prettied-up Alice Wilde grinning at Frank, her pink lips forming a shy but sincere smile at her crush. "I just _love_ a good romance to start a barbeque," Marlene gushed, "now we just wait for your loverboy-,"

"Oh please," Lily rolled her eyes, earning a frown from her best friend as the green eyed girl noticed Marlene's new expression and placed a hand on her hip. "Just give it up already."

Her coquettish friend shrugged nonchalantly as a half-grin formed on her face. Marlene's eyes said it all as Lily turned around and almost hit nose-first into James Potter's chest.

"Give what up, Ev- Lily?" James' hazel eyes looked straight at hers through those black glasses of his. Lily let out a disgusted noise as she pushed James away, even more irritated now. Marlene she could handle, but James was a whole other problem. "Oh come on now, Lily, some respect would be nice."

"You have never earned mine, Potter," she crossed her arms across her chest tightly, some red hair falling out of place from her ponytail. James reached out to brush it past her ear but Lily smacked his hand, rather hard might she add. "_Don't_ touch me."

"Aw, come on Lily," he frowned but he was nudged by Sirius, who stepped in, flashing a smile at the annoyed redhead.

"Afternoon, lovely Lily," Sirius mockingly bowed his head as Lily brushed off his stupid gesture, "James and I haven't even said hello and you're already puffing up like you're offended."

These boys were grating on her nerves as she saw a skittish Peter half-hiding behind Remus, who had a 'What are you doing, Sirius?' expression written on his face. Lily was disappointed that Remus never stepped in to stop the bullying James and Sirius were involved in.

"Don't even try to be funny," she warned through her teeth as she made a quick escape to where Alice was standing, right next to Frank. The petite brunette was surpised she showed up as she made room for Lily to stand between her and Frank.

"Is everything okay?" Alice asked, her eyes immediately directed at the Marauders. Frank rubbed the back of his neck, mumbled something and ran off into the kitchen to because he forgot to bring out the silverware and napkins. Lily sighed, fixing her ponytail as she gave Alice a look that clearly meant that everything was not okay.

"Lily, maybe you're being too harsh..." Alice started and then hesitated, not sure how to explain this to her red haired friend, "I think James is, well, being nice."

The green eyed girl's jaw almost dropped. Alice Wilde defending James Potter and claiming he was being nice? What was next, Petunia sprouting pink faerie wings and singing Queen? May as well be, as Lily looked over her shoulder to see an eager James conversing with Sirius and one of the other neighborhood boys. She sighed.

"You're just saying that because you like Frank," she muttered, ignoring Alice's question as to what she said as Lily avoided James Potter and Sirius Black the entire barbeque. She would have talked to Remus but he was discussing books with a lovely young lady and well, she wasn't going to approach Peter the creep. Lily wanted to enjoy the barbeque but she couldn't bring herself to have fun and it was all Potter's fault.

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><p>The sun had set for some time, the dying rays of orange and yellow thinning out like butter on bread. Lily was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk outside of the Longbottom residence, waiting for her parents and the Longbottoms to finish talking as she picked up a piece of rock and asphalt and rolled it around her fingers. Marlene had gone off with Sirius Black, probably to snog or something silly, and Alice invited Frank to come swim at her family's swimming pool for the evening. Lily was very happy that Alice finally willed up the courage to ask him and she couldn't help but think she was the first one who called it. Alice and Frank would be a lovely pair, wouldn't they?<p>

However, Lily felt a little alone.

"I've been ditched too," James' voice spoke out of nowhere, snapping Lily out of her doze as she instinctively stood up and took a few steps back. James frowned for a split moment as his hazel eyes stared right into Lily's eyes. "Can I join?"

"Why are you asking me?" she spat. "Where's the big reveal? Aren't you going to end this charade already?"

"What charade? Lily Evans, I'm not going to prank you," the glasses-wearing teen spoke seriously. Lily did not ever recall hearing James speak so flatly, which made her even more suspicious. James noticed this as he gave Lily some space. Lily did not talk but merely glare at James, not buying any of it.

"I'm not even calling you Evans, please just listen to me," he asked her with a hint of desperation in his voice, "I _have_ to say something to you."

Lily opened one curious eye but still had the look of disgust on her face. James took this as a sign she was interested but not for long. He wasn't going to waste this moment.

"Lily, I love you."

It was like somebody took a hammer and slammed it against Lily's head as she stared at him with a mixture of disgust, astonishment and anger scrawled on her face. James Potter said he loved her? Did he really believe she was going to fall for that garbage? He had been pursuing her ever since they first met, what did he think? That those words would make her forgive him and gleefully agree to be his girlfriend?

"James Potter," she drew a breath while resisting the urge to strange the messy haired teen, "this is possibly the worst joke you have ever done. Go aw-,"

Lily didn't finish her sentence because her lips were now occupied by James' Potters. She had her palms pressed against James' chest and she tried to push him but James only kissed her deeper and held her arms with his own hands. Lily had never kissed a boy before but James' lips were so inviting and soft...

"Believe me now, Lily?" James broke off the kiss as he asked her seriously, Lily's heart still beating furiously from what had just happened. "I changed for you."

Still tasting James' lips on hers, she pressed two fingers on her lips and then slowly nodded. She was about to speak when her parents said goodbye to the Longbottoms and found Lily and James standing there, an excited grin forming on Mrs. Evans' face as she greeted James and invited the young man over for dinner next Friday.

James was ecstatic and was practically skipping away from Lily and her family as a little smile crossed the red haired girl's face. But there was a tugging at the edge of her mind, a thought that wouldn't go away. She had lived up to everyone else's expectations and even though she was happy, that nagging little idea was forever planted in her head and all she could do now was ignore it.

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><p><em>The eternally youthful prince once had a caretaker. The servant's name was Kenburry and he was an elderly but intellectual warlock who kept the young man company. Kenburry was not repulsed by the prince's curse because the old man was born blind. Because Kenburry was not phased by the prince's appearance, he grew to love the young prince as his own grandson and taught the man everything he knew about the world. He taught the prince how to grow his own food, how to concoct potions and brews and the history of Man. However, Kenburry was forbidden to ever tell the prince why he was exiled from his old kingdom.<em>

_"You must promise me Severus, to never leave this castle until the world's days are at its end. Your brilliant gifts and talents would turn to waste if you ever revealed yourself," Kenburry warned one day during their academic lessons. "There is not a more cruel existence than to have so much to offer in a thankless world."_

_Severus took those words to heart. When Kenburry died of old age, Severus buried his body in one of the castle's gardens and withdrew into himself even further. Mortality was so short, so sudden...and yet it was what the prince wanted most. But his self-loathing and his hatred for the outside world tucked away his desires to be a mortal man and he did not think of his wish for several years._

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><p>I know the story is going slow and that Severus hasn't shown up yet but I had to get all this out of the way first. I don't want to spoil much but there may be a cameo in the next chapter...<p> 


	4. Sirius Suggests a Break In

I do not own Harry Potter. JKR does. Also the concept of Edward Scissorhands goes to dear ol' Burton.

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><p><strong>Sirius Suggests a Break In<strong>

It was the dying days of summer and that meant reality was right around the corner for the adolescents of Cokeworth. The Marauders would suffer two losses in particular. Remus Lupin was headed off to university to pursue an education in history and literature, hoping to become a professor. James, on the other hand, was on a scholarship to the same university as Remus'. James was going to play rugby and take some classes although like Sirius, he was incredibly wealthy and could live comfortably without a job. His university was only a half hour from Cokeworth but to Lily Evans, it felt like he was across the pond.

Peter Pettigrew was going to work in his family's flower shop (earning the secondary nickname Pansy, as Sirius and James often teased him about) but at least he was staying in Cokeworth. His next goal was to find a girlfriend (which is going to take a considerable amount of luck). Sirius Black was set for life and had no desire to ever get a job. He was also staying in town, much to the joy of his girlfriend Marlene. She was already picking out the colors of napkins for their future wedding reception. It wasn't official and there was no ring, but Walburga Black had already bought tons of dresses for Marlene and practically adopted the beautiful blonde. Mrs. Black was hoping for a wedding by next summer. Frank Longbottom was focused on starting his own business, with help from his father. Alice supported his endeavors and couldn't be any prouder of her boyfriend. There was not a cuter couple than those two.

Lily picked up a part-time job as a daycare instructor at the Tabby Cat Nursery and Daycare in the next town over and would start her new job in the first week September. Lily was rather fond of children, unlike James, and deep down she wanted her own son or daughter to raise and care for. However James wasn't too impressed with snot-nosed brats unless they were strapping young boys like he once was.

"Lily, you'll be wonderful at it, I just know it," Alice congratulated her red haired friend, drinking a bottle of water as the two girls walked down the sidewalk to Marlene's house, where she was throwing an extravagant good-bye party for Remus and James. "I almost considered applying there but Frank's going to need an assistant once he gets his business up and running," she smiled dreamily. Lily nodded.

"I heard Minerva McGonagall is a stern but kind woman," Lily described her new boss to Alice, "and she was really impressed with my babysitting references and that I'm trained in CPR."

"Oh I'm sure you're good at giving mouth-to-mouth, Lily," Marlene's coquettish drawl greeted Alice and Lily as the bombshell blonde was leaning against the door of her house, lighting a cigarette. Lily shot her friend a disapproving look (Lily did not like the smell of cigarette smoke and Alice's mom died of lung cancer a few years back because of smoking for fifty plus years) as Marlene groaned and dropped the cig on the ground, stomping it out with her heel.

"Not that sort of mouth-to-mouth, Marlene," Lily rolled her eyes but with a smile on her face as she reluctantly hugged Marlene, a hint of tobacco on her skin. Alice hugged Marlene as well and the three girls went inside the McKinnon household to face the Marauder boys and their other friends. Remus was chatting with Sirius and Peter as a smile lit up his face and said hello to both Lily and Alice. Frank had just emerged from the loo and it hadn't been thirty seconds that Alice was already hugging him tightly like they had been separated for a million years. Lily wandered around the room until she felt muscular arms around her torso as her boyfriend reigned her into a romantic hug.

"Hey there Lily," James almost purred as he placed a kiss on top of Lily's head as his red haired girlfriend turned around and returned his hug by squeezing him even tighter. She heard Peter make a small gagging noise and Sirius was looking on cheerfully, albeit mischievously as he snaked his arm around Marlene's curvy waist. Lily placed a kiss on James' cheek but he decided to plant a kiss on her lips at the last minute. "My lovely girl, I'm going to miss you so much," he said as he kissed Lily on the mouth, a bit too eagerly might she add. Then again, James was always the more brash one.

"Isn't this supposed to be a party?" Peter asked, looking rather annoyed with the current hug-and-snogfest taking place as Remus placed a hand on his short friend's shoulder.

"Peter, let them hug. James and I are leaving tomorrow and we won't be able to see our friends for quite some time," the sandy haired teen explained to Peter but as Sirius continued to snog Marlene, even he got a little sick. Lily broke off the kiss with her boyfriend to notice Remus looking a little down now that Peter brought up the subject. For someone academically brilliant, Remus never had luck with the ladies. Even Peter snagged a date every now and then, even though his last date was over two years ago.

* * *

><p>"Oh look, it's a full moon tonight," Alice pressed a finger against the window as her brown eyes looked up at the beautiful round moon. Frank had his arm around his girlfriend's waist as the two happily watched the inky sky soon fill up with tiny, twinkling stars. The conversation had died down again and most of the party-goers had left, except for the Marauders and their girlfriends. Lily and James were outside sitting on the sidewalk, holding hands as Lily rested her head on James' shoulder. James was rubbing his thumb on Lily's hand, which felt almost ticklish as she tried to suppress a giggle. He was so forward sometimes, but she had learned to find it endearing.<p>

"Let's go outside," Marlene demanded as she took out a pack of cigarettes from her pants pocket as she lead her boyfriend outside the house, "I'm dying for a smoke."

Lily shook her head as she saw the couple walk outside and take a smoke break, Sirius making a joke to James as the two guys cracked up. Remus and Peter soon followed and lastly Alice and Frank. All the childhood friends and former foes in one tight group. For every guy and girl, it was frightening to know that they would be temporarily separated once Remus and James left for college.

"I have this crazy idea," Sirius' words filtered into the air like his cigarette smoke. He shot a devilish grin at his girlfriend and then James and everyone else. "Something that we should all do before Remus and James leave."

Everyone looked at him with a piqued curiosity. Sirius took another puff as he finished his cigarette and put it out with his boot. "We should go to Spinner's End. All of us."

"Are you mad?" Remus exclaimed. He summed up everybody's reaction. James looked at his mate with surprise; not even he would suggest that. Alice frowned as she clung to Frank's arm and Marlene formed the biggest frown on her face. "That manor is practically condemned, not to mention the dangers of dilapidated houses."

"Sirius, nobody goes into that place. I heard Spinner's End is haunted with the ghost of John Spinner," Peter said, his mousy eyes squinting with worry. Sirius chuckled as he left his girlfriend and walked over to his pal James.

"What do you say, James? One last Marauder hurrah?" his attention then fell onto Remus and Peter, his grin widening as Lily knitted her eyebrows in concern. Once Sirius Black flashed that grin of his, his mind was made up. "Come on Remus, Peter. We won't have such fun anymore, especially now that my mum's bugging me about proposing to Marlene," that last comment he whispered harshly under his breath as to not let Marlene hear him. Lily sighed. The Blacks did marry rather young, didn't they? Then again, most people in Cokeworth got hitched before they turned 22.

James stood up, his grip on Lily's waist so tight that she was forced to stand up as well, his hazel eyes glinting under a street lamp. _Oh no_, Lily thought as she leaned on him. _He's going to do this._

"One last hurrah," he repeated, a smile forming on his handsome moonlit face. He was convinced and there was nothing Lily could say or do now. "It's the one thing we haven't conquered, the perfect place to go venturing."

"Absolutely not!" Marlene stomped her foot. "That place is old and nasty, I keep telling Daddy to contact the demolishers-,"

Sirius silenced his girl with a kiss but Marlene still looked huffy and annoyed. Lily did not want to see the castle destroyed, but she did not think it was a bright idea to go snooping around on old property. True, the idea was fascinating and perhaps even exciting to her but Lily was not a troublemaker. Maybe James' attitude had been rubbing off on her more than she thought.

"Okay fine, but I'm only going to make sure there's someone to watch out for bobbies," Remus dissented but Sirius and James were more than glad. Peter too caved in and Frank as well, much to the worry of dear Alice. Marlene flat out refused.

"Marls, come on," Sirius tried to place a peck on her lips but Marlene furrowed her eyebrows, her blue eyes glaring holes into Sirius' skin before she turned on her heel and stormed back into his house. Peter 'ooh'ed at this development but Sirius told him to shut up and that Marlene would come around.

"Lily, love, are you in too?" James asked her, his goofy smile still plastered on his face as he gently grabbed Lily's forearms, his hazel eyes round like a puppy's. Lily tried to turn away but she could not argue with his terribly handsome looks.

"It seems like Remus and I are the only responsible ones sometimes," she sighed as she too agreed as James lifted his girlfriend off the ground and kissed her on the mouth. He set her down as the Marauders, Frank and Alice and Lily strolled down the sidewalk until they reached the cul-de-sac where the looming building stood.

Lily noticed how much darker night was on Spinner's End despite the fact it was night all around the neighborhood. The tallest tower pierced the milky-white moon, a stark contrast to the assuring symbol of light during the dark. Lily shuddered a little bit but she felt safer being close to her boyfriend and her friends. An ornate black fence surrounded the castle, vines and brush overgrown and tangled in the spaces between the bars of the main gate. The grass looked dead, untrimmed and abandoned. In fact, the entire manor looked deserted and had an aura of hopelessness and despair. She never believed an inanimate object could radiate such emotion.

"Creepy," muttered Peter and Frank at the same time. Remus stayed close to Frank and Alice; even he looked somewhat unnerved.

"Now, how to break in..." Sirius thought out loud, the first to approach the large black gate. The lock to the gate was long gone but as the black haired young man tugged on the gate entrance, it refused to open. "Stubborn gate," he grunted between pulls.

"Sirius, you're_ going_ to hurt yourself exerting your strength like that," Lily warned as she let go of her boyfriend and reluctantly walked to the front of the manor on Spinner's End, a chill shooting up her spine, "maybe there's a key or another entrance." It was like this area was ten degrees cooler than anywhere else on the street. She looked at the gate as she inspected where the lock used to be but there was nothing to open it. She sighed as she walked alongside the fence wall, trying to find something. Anything really.

"Ooh, Lily's so brave," Sirius chortled as he was joined by Peter and James. "Too bad she only started dating you until this year, she's a natural Marauder," he remarked. James nodded happily.

Lily frowned. Funny how she was against this and here she was, finding a way to break in to somebody else's house. It was exhilarating and wrong, the adrenaline rushing through Lily's bloodstream as her shoe hit a hard object and she tripped, her head nearly missed a sharp broken metal bar.

"You okay Lily?" Alice's scared voice rang in the night air but Lily was too focused on her new discovery to respond. On the east side of the manor, there was a gap between the bars big enough to slip through.

_Don't do this Lily May Evans. You're better than this. You could get hurt!_ the inner voice in her mind rang like an alarm as her green eyes focused on the section of the broken fence wall. She drew a deep breath as she turned sideways and crouched to where she could slide through the opening. Now or never. Imagine how impressed James would be! She tightened her hands into balled up fists as she moved towards the opening and went through the gap. She set one foot on the lawn on the other side of the fence as she turned her head and saw the remains of what she guessed used to be a private garden. Toppled stone-grey statues stood on pedestals, worn away over time and disuse and reminded Lily of the gargoyles on the Notre Dame. They were scary but many believed they kept out unholy demons from churches.

Lily's shoes were now slightly dirty and it was so silent that she could hear the dead grass crunching underneath her. She was nervous and excited, on constant alert for anything that moved or made noise that didn't come from her. The grass ended at the edge of a cobblestone path, many rocks obviously missing or buried under the dirt as she inspected the path, crouching down on her knees for a closer look. It was funny really, it looked like someone had just walked on these stones because there was some specks of dirt that weren't padded on the surface. Perhaps an animal had just come through here...?

She stood up and brushed off her skirt, noticing a small tear at the bottom of her hem as she muttered about getting that fixed. When Lily lifted her head, her heart stopped beating and time seemed to have stopped as well. Lily opened her mouth to scream but nothing escaped her open jaw as her throat suddenly felt dry.

A dark figure was standing but a few meters from her, hiding in the alcove of the entrance to the private garden. Lily could see no distinguishable features and did not recognize this being.

"What are you doing here? Get out!"

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><p>Cliffhangers are evil, but I couldn't resist. I know, no Prince Severus backstory this chapter but there will be a hearty chunk next chapter. STAY TUNED!<p> 


	5. John Spinner's Death

The idea of Edward Scissorhands goes to Burton and Harry Potter belongs to JKR. I just own the plot...

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><p><strong>John Spinner's Death<strong>

A sudden wind picked up and began lashing across Lily's face as her almond shaped eyes enlargened to find the hooded figure standing in the alcove. Lily's blood was frozen in her veins and as much as she wanted to run away, she could not bring herself to take a step back and make a run for it. She was like a deer in the headlights, unable to move due to fear.

"Lily! Lily, where are you?" Peter's voice yelled in the midnight, Lily's shoulder twitching as the dark figure faded into the darkness of the garden, Lily blinking wildly as she felt her body propel forward to where the strange being had just been standing. She could hardly make out the shape of a door knob in the shape of a snake coiled around the knob as its tail made up the handle. Such intricate detail for a door knob. Her finger hovered a few centimeters above the handle, just wanting to feel the cold surface...

"Do not _touch_ that!" The voice sharply cut in the night air, Lily jerking back as she gazed at the door handle before her attention was diverted to the hooded figure. Now hearing the voice for the second time, it sounded like it was a man. A tired man. "You are not supposed to be here!"

"Sir, I am so sorry!" she held out her hands in an apologetic manner, her tone a little more desperate than she had realized. "Please don't call the bobbies on us, this was more of...more of a dare. I meant no harm by intruding on your property-,"

"I do not care for your pathetic excuses," the man spoke in a bitter and angry tone, his voice sounding even closer than before, "leave now and do not ever return. Consider me merciful for your crime of trespassing."

Lily did not need to be told twice. As if she were being chased by a demon from Hell, Lily ran out of the garden and hastily slid through the opening between the fence's bars. She let out a yelp as she cut her knee from a jagged bar, not being careful enough to pass through the fence. The gash ran from the top of her knee to mid-calf, a single trail of blood running down her leg. It didn't hurt at first, but when she looked down to see the injury, the pain began to grow. She seethed through her teeth as she sat on the ground, rocking her left leg back and forth.

The red haired girl was hovering between two shocking events of the night: her bleeding leg that should probably get medical attention, and the fact there was someone _living_ at Spinner's End. _A person? I can't believe it, there has someone living there all this time! But for how long, and how come he has not revealed himself?_ Lily thought between groans as she tried to stand up but couldn't. The blood was still gushing down her calf, looking almost as black as the sky above.

"Lily, oh my god! What happened to you!" Alice came running over to where Lily was sitting, horror painted on her round face. Frank soon followed with a similar expression as the rest of the Marauders finally joined them. James had been laughing about something but his laughter was cut short when his eyes fell upon Lily's leg.

"What did you do, Lily?" he yelled out of concern, crouching down to eye level as he pointed to her leg, his face strained with worry and anger. He scooped up his girlfriend in his arms, Lily's head resting against James' chest. Sirius looked especially guilty about all this, as well as Peter. Remus began to shout at Sirius, blaming him for all this and how Lily would need immediate hospital attention.

"Don't blame Padfoot," James spoke out, still looking down at the girl in his arms. "He didn't know this would happen, Moony-,"

"This was a terrible idea from the start!" Remus growled as his sandy hair fell in front of his narrowed eyes, walking furiously over to James as he jabbed his finger into James' arm. "Don't 'Moony' me, James. I didn't do anything for years and let you guys bully and I _allowed_ it," he paused, "and now one of your most dangerous pranks yet hurt Lily, your own girlfriend!"

"Remus, please, not now," Alice's trembling voice tried to calm the growing tension between James and Remus as she placed her hand on Remus' shoulder. She didn't want any more fighting, not when Lily was bleeding and barely conscious.

"Alice is right," Frank stepped in to the conversation, his larger build towering over James and Remus as the young man also looked at Peter and Sirius, "we can't point fingers when Lily's hurt. We've got to hurry."

* * *

><p>Bright light filtered through the creases of Lily's eyelids as she muttered something incoherently, trying to turn on her side but barely able to. After blinking a few times and her pupils adjusting to the sudden light, she gasped at where she was. A hospital room. She raised her head to find her mom and dad sitting on some chairs, the light in her mother's eyes burning bright as Mrs. Evans sprung out of her seat and began to hug Lily.<p>

"My poor baby!" Mrs. Evans sniffled, "Your father nearly died of fright when we got a call from the hospital! Lily dear, what were you thinking?"

Still tired and weak, Lily began to mumble, "there's a person...living in Spinner's End. He was in the garden."

Mrs. Evans frowned as she pressed her hand against Lily's forehead, checking her temperature as she looked down at her daughter. "Oh Lily, you must have hit your head harder than we thought...James told us about how you tripped last night. Your leg hit a shard of glass and you hit your head on the ground," she shook her head as she asked her husband to fetch the doctor. "Lily's sick!"

"Mum, I'm fine," Lily gently moved her mother's hand, "and it's true. There is someone living in that old manor...I _saw_ him," she tried to explain but her mother hushed her.

"Honey, nobody's lived in that house for ages," Mrs. Evans sighed as she ran her hand through Lily's red hair, a concerned expression on the woman's face. "And you should not have been playing around that awful place...Mr. McKinnon really needs to do something about that," the blonde woman muttered as she left Lily to join her husband and the doctor. As Lily was poked and prodded and asked a million questions, Lily thought over last night's events.

_Was he just a homeless person? I don't know where'd he come from though, Cokeworth isn't slummy in the least. And why did James lie? I didn't even hit my head last night, so my memory is intact_...Lily pondered over the mysterious figure in the garden, the shadow that barked at her to leave immediately, and that doorknob with the serpentine pattern...certainly nothing from this century. The castle was even older than she had imagined, but maybe if there had been more light outside, she would be able to see more details of that doorknob and alcove. It had now piqued her interest and the thought would not die.

"Well, she seems healthy and she's not suffering any head trauma," the doctor said, "but we'll keep her overnight just in case. That is a nasty gash on her leg and we want to make sure she's alright in time for her new job."

Mr. and Mrs. Evans nodded as the doctor left in a hurry as Lily's father walked over to her bed and placed his hand on her shoulder. "We'll be back later, okay Lily?" he told her in a soft and caring tone as Lily nodded. Her parents exited her hospital room as Lily's head hit the bleach-white pillow. It smelled of plain yogurt for some odd reason. Lily felt herself drifting off to sleep even with the flurry of thoughts about that mysterious man in the garden and why James would lie about what happened last night. As soon as she got out of this hospital room, she was going to ask him why.

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><p>The last person who had stepped foot on his property was that drunkard Spinner, and look where he ended up. Rumor said he killed himself but really, it was more of an accidental homicide. No fault from Severus of course. That man kept pestering him for money for booze and babbling incoherently like a wild beast. His death allowed the prince to continue living in solitude and not to be bothered for at least another hundred years. Well, until that young girl trespassed last night...<p>

Severus was not a people person. Kenburry had taught him not to rely on others, that the outside world would only mock and scorn him. It did not matter that he was intellectually brilliant or that he was part of royalty. He would be seen as a monster, a freak of nature and never fully accepted or even loved. When Kenburry died, it only cemented his beliefs and he never left his house, except to step into his private garden. The flowers used to bloom so brilliantly during the spring, but time and disinterest made the plants wither and the bushes were as thorny as his bones.

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><p>The next day, Lily was finally released from the hospital. She had a clean bandage wrapped around her leg and was told to take some paid medication if the pain worsened. Otherwise she should be able to work on Monday at the nursery. She was thankful that the injury didn't set her back too many days; she did not want Madam McGonagall to think she was clumsy or accident-prone. As soon as the Evans family arrived back home, Lily plopped on her bed as she rested her head against a pillow. Not two minutes in her own house and the phone began to ring. Mrs. Evans answered and then called for Lily.<p>

"Lily dear, it's James! Oh poor boy, he's been so worried about you," she sighed as Lily slowly waked downstairs to take the phone from her mother as she was greeted with her boyfriend's voice.

"Hey Lils," James' voice filtered through the headset as a small frown began to grow on the redhead's face. When her mother left the kitchen, Lily quickly spoke up as her finger wrapped around the telephone cord.

"Why did you lie James?"

A sudden pause as she heard James breathe. "I didn't want you to get in trouble for going into that old house. Oh God Lily, I was worried you were seriously hurt! I couldn't leave for university until I knew you were absolutely safe."

At first, Lily was comforted that James had been so scared about what happened to her and that he had stayed behind to make sure she was okay. Then she realized that he had lied about what happened Friday night and the soft look on her face faded. She hadn't told anybody about what she saw at Spinner's End, and when she tried to tell her parents, they dismissed it. Would James believe her?

"James?"

"Yeah, love?" he answered.

Lily bit her lip as she spoke, "James, I saw someone that night. I slipped through a gap in the fence and walked into a garden. There...was a man there who told me to leave."

"What? Lily, are you sure?"

Lily nodded fiercely. "Yes James. I'm positive. It was dark out but there was a man in that garden and he spoke to me."

James was immediately silent as Lily knitted her eyebrows in concern as she waited for James to respond with some sort of word. She didn't want to be seen as crazy and if James believed her then her other friends would have to believe her as well. For once, she wished she had stayed with Marlene instead of running off with the Marauders and Frank and Alice.

"Lily, nobody has lived in that house for at least a century. The last person who went to Spinner's End...well...was Spinner and he hung himself."

"James I am telling the truth! Someone lives there!" she defended her claim.

"Really?" the anger in James' tone rose to a pitch as Lily inched the headset away from her ear, "Lily, if somebody lived there, they would have to come out at some point! Lily, nobody can be a shut in for the rest of their lives. People have to eat and go out at some point. Maybe you really did conk your head..."

Lily let out an 'ugh!' as she pressed the phone against her head and clenched her jaw. "I can't believe you would lie about why I got hurt. Did you think I would tell on you and Sirius and everybody else? I'll talk to you later James, I have things to do."

"Fine. I'll call you as soon as I get to-," but Lily slammed the phone on the receiver before hearing the rest of James' sentence as she huffed. James could be so sweet and yet he aggravated her sometimes. It was almost like before they started dating, except for a few kisses here and there. Lily was fond of James, she really was, but there were just some things about him that just made her want to slap him.

Lily exhaled slowly as she walked back up to her bedroom. She needed a girl's night out. Just her, Alice and Marlene. She would give each of them a call later tonight and then plan for a fun weekend after her first week of work. That was another pressing matter: working at the Tabby Cat Nursery and Daycare. She wanted to impress Ms. McGonagall so badly, even though she did a pretty good job at her interview. Tabby Cat was a sophisticated day care for the upper class families and from what Lily heard, it paid very well even for part time workers. Lily just liked working with children and wanted something to occupy her time now that James and Remus were off to college.

Her thoughts still focused on that old manor on Spinner's End. Lily knew what she saw. It may have been at night but she did see someone. She heard him speak. It was no figment of her imagination and she knew it. James didn't believe her and she had a strong feeling that nobody else would. So really, there was only_ one_ solution.

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><p>I am so sorry for the lack of updating. It's a balancing act with two part time jobs, college and general laziness. Please forgive me D;<p> 


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